Something To Live For
by Piper Elizabeth
Summary: One thing stands in the way of Josh and Andy’s relationship, and it’s not cancer.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Something To Live For

**Rating:** T for normal teenage behavior.

**Disclaimer:** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

**Summary:** One thing stands in the way of Josh and Andy's relationship, and it's not cancer.

**Notes:** SPOILER ALERT! This story takes place somewhere between "Between the Rack and a Hard Place" (the episode where Josh is accused of stealing money from the Rack) and "First Cut is the Deepest" (the episode where Josh and Andy go to "couples counseling"). So, basically – it takes place before Andy finds out she's in remission.

**Spoilers:** Nothing in particular, but I guess all episodes through "Between the Rack and a Hard Place."

**Chapter 1**

Every second seemed like an ion. Josh wasn't sure if the bell would ever ring. He tapped his pencil anxiously against the edge of his notebook and watched the clock on the wall above his teacher's desk.

Finally, the second hand hit the twelve and the bell sounded. Josh had officially made it through yet another week of school. Now all he had to do was get through a six hour shift at The Rack and he would be free for the entire weekend to play video games and sit around doing nothing.

As soon as he heard the bell, he practically bolted out of the room and headed for his locker. He debated on simply ignoring the fact that he had history homework waiting in there, but he was trying to be responsible. And the new, responsible Josh did his history homework.

Josh quickly opened his locker, grabbed his history book and notebook, and shoved them into his backpack.

"Actually taking your homework home instead of doing it in homeroom? I'm impressed."

Andy was standing behind him with her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, well, I discovered that homeroom's better for something else."

"What's that?"

"Sleeping."

He slammed his locker shut.

"You know, sometimes I ask myself what I see in you," she joked taking a step closer to him. Their banter was like a little game that they loved to play. It was just part of what made them perfect for each other.

"It's because of my charm, isn't it?"

"Yeah, that's it," she replied sarcastically.

He threw his arm around her shoulder as they began to walk down the hallway together. They made their way down the hallway and out of the building.

"So, are you coming to the Rack?" He asked as they approached his car. Josh threw his backpack on the backseat and got in the car.

"Can't," she answered, getting in on the passenger side.

"I thought we were going to hang out."

"As fun as hanging out with you while you're busy serving coffee to and flirting with hot chicks…"

"Me flirting? How about those computer geeks you sit there and bat your eyelashes at," he stated as he started the car and pulled out of the parking lot.

"I do not bat my eye lashes!"

They both glanced at each other and smiled. It was just another part of their little game.

"So anyway, what's the deal?" He asked.

"I've got dinner with my moms."

"What'd you do to deserve that?"

"Guess it's because they actually like spending time with me."

"What's wrong with them?"

She slugged him in the arm.

"Hey, no hitting the driver," he said, lightly hitting her on the thigh in retaliation.

"You just did that to cop a feel, didn't you?" She asked.

He shrugged as he pulled up in front of Andy's house. "Maybe."

She opened the door and went to get out when Josh pulled on her arm. She kneeled on the seat and leaned into his kiss.

"Call me later?" She asked, his fingers lingering on her cheek.

"If you're lucky," he answered.

She rolled her eyes and got out of the car. As she opened the front door, she turned back. Josh winked at her and she waved. It was just another one of their little things that they did. She walked into the house, closed the door, and listened to him drive away. He never left until he knew that she was safely inside.

"Is that you, Andy?" Andy's mom called.

"No, mom, it's Elvis."

She heard her mom laugh. It didn't take much.

"Can you give me a hand?"

Andy knew exactly where her mom would be. It was where she was almost every moment of the day.

She made her way through the living room and into the kitchen. Her mom was standing at the stove, stirring something in a pot. Andy walked over to the stove and looked at what her mom was making.

"Pink vodka sauce?" Andy asked. Her mom only made pink vodka sauce for very special occasions.

"Mhmm," her mom replied. Andy grabbed a nearby spoon and attempted to dip it into the pan to get a taste. "Not until dinner." Her mom knocked her spoon away with her hand.

Andy sighed. "What can I do?"

"Well, you can either chop," she said, pointing to two zucchinis and three peppers on the counter, "or toss a salad."

"How about I stir?"

Her mother shook her head. No one touched her special pink vodka sauce except for her.

"Chop or toss?"

"Fine, I'll chop," Andy decided. She washed her hands in the sink and grabbed a knife. She quickly rinsed each of the vegetables and began chopping them into small pieces. "So, what's the occasion?"

"Your mothers got some special news," her mom explained as she continued to stir the sauce. The key was to never let it sit and to constantly keep it moving.

Andy turned to look at her mom.

"What kind of news?"

"You'll see."

"Just tell me it has nothing to do with skiing because last time she came home with exciting news, our weekend ski trip turned into a weekend trip to the emergency room."

"I promise, it has nothing to do with skiing. Now keep chopping."

Andy focused her attention back on the vegetables. She and her mom fell into their usual rhythm. Cooking was Andy's mom's favorite thing to do and Andy had inherited her love for the art. She knew that she would never be as good as her mother, but she still enjoyed working side by side with her. If her mom hadn't decided to be a stay at home mom, Andy knew she would have made the perfect chef.

Two hours later, Andy had chopped the vegetables, tossed the salad, and was finishing setting the table. Her mom was just draining some of her handmade linguini in the sink when her mother walked in the front door.

"Something smells delicious," her mother exclaimed as she dropped her briefcase and coat on the couch and entered the kitchen. She made a beeline for the stove where the sauce was sitting, waiting to be poured into the pasta. She went to dip her finger in when Andy's mom walked in from the dining room and swatted her hand away.

"You and your daughter are just alike," her mom said. "Now out of my kitchen."

"I thought this was our kitchen."

"Out!"

Andy's mother walked through the swinging wooden door into the dining room. Andy was just setting down the third plate at the table.

"Your mom is guarding that food like it's a government secret."

"Tell me about it," Andy said. "But it's worth it."

"True."

"How was work?"

"It was…eventful."

"Oh yeah?" Andy sat down at her usual seat.

"Actually, I have a surprise."

Andy's mom walked through the door holding the large bowl of pasta in her hand. She set it down in the middle of the table.

"Now you two can dig in," she said, taking a seat.

Andy's mother also sat down and they began to pass their plates around the table. They each scooped a different food on their plate. Andy's mom was in charge of the pasta, Andy the vegetables, and Andy's mother the salad.

"So, what's the news?" Andy asked, shoveling a large forkful of pasta into her mouth.

"You know how my firm has been talking about opening a new office?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I've been promoted to senior partner!"

"What? That's awesome! Congratulations!" Andy exclaimed, giving her mom a high five over the table. "When do you start?"

"Next Wednesday. Which means that we have to be ready by Monday."

"Ready? What do you mean?"

"Andy, honey, we're moving!"

Author's Note: Well, I haven't worked on any multi-chapter fics in a while and this story has been floating around in my head for quite some time. I hope you like the first chapter and hopefully the next one will be up very soon!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"What?"

She dropped her fork. Suddenly she wasn't hungry anymore.

"We're moving. I'm going to be one of the senior partners in the new office," her mother explained excitedly.

"Why can't you just be a senior partner in the old office?"

"Andy, this is an amazing opportunity," her mom added, sensing Andy's disappointment.

"Why?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

She couldn't stop the feeling of dread from taking over.

"Andy…" her mother began.

"Where?" Andy interrupted. "Where are we moving? Five miles away? Ten? Twenty?"

"Andy, the new firm is in Boston," her mother answered.

The color faded from Andy's face as her jaw dropped open.

"Boston? Massachusetts?" Her mother nodded. "As in three thousand miles away?"

She felt like she had been stabbed in chest by something incredibly sharp. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't think.

"Honey, we thought you'd be excited," her mom said. That was just like her mom – cheerful and perky no matter what the situation.

"Excited? What about this did you think would excite me?"

"You've never complained about moving in the past," her mother pointed out.

"But now it's different! This is totally unfair!" Andy slammed her fist down on the table.

"Andy, you're acting like a child," her mother stated.

She didn't care that she was acting like a child. She was fuming. She felt like throwing herself on the ground and pounding her hands and feet down on the ground.

"You just make a decision that will affect all of us by yourself?" Andy shouted.

"Watch your tone, young lady," her mother said.

"Your mother and I talked about this, Andy, and we think it's best for the family."

"How is this best?"

The tears were coming. She could feel them coming.

"We'll be closer to your brother and…"

"And what about me?!" She yelled. It came out harsher than she meant it, but she felt devastated. A tear leaked from her eye and she brushed it away.

"Andy…" her mom began to say, trying to calm her.

"What about my cancer? What about my treatments?"

"We've already spoken to your doctors," her mom explained.

"So they knew we were moving before I did?"

"We thought it best to discuss our options with them before we made any decisions. They've contacted specialists in Boston who will take over your treatment. Andy, they've got some of the best doctors in the world in the hospitals there and…"

"Then what about school? You want to pull me from school a year before I graduate?"

"You can go to another school," her mother stated matter-of-factly.

"You say that like it's so easy. You don't know what it's like!"

"Andy, we know you're upset, but…" her mom said.

"What about Josh? You expect me to just leave him?"

"Look, we know that you and Josh are…fond of each other, but you're only sixteen," her mother stated. "There will be other boys and…"

Andy stood up angrily. "We're more than fond of each other!"

"Andy…" Her mom was trying to calm her, but Andy was anything but calm. She wanted to yell and scream at the top of her lungs until her moms told her that it was all just a joke.

"I'm not going!" She shouted.

"You don't have a choice young lady," her mother said sternly. "Our flight leaves Monday."

Monday was only a weekend away.

"I said I'm not going!"

Andy bolted from the room. She let the tears stream freely down her face as she ran through the living room and out the front door. She heard her mom yell her name, but she didn't stop running. She knew exactly where she was going.

She finally stopped when his house came into view. She took a moment to catch her breath and control her emotions before she walked up the driveway and to the front door. Taking a deep breath, she knocked.

The door opened less than a minute later. Josh's mom stood in the doorway holding a peeler in her hand.

"Hi Andy." She knew immediately that something was wrong. Even without all of her years of training to learn how to read people's non verbal expressions, she would have been able to tell that something was not right.

"Is Josh home?" Andy asked with as much strength as she could muster.

"I'm sorry, he's still at work."

She had forgotten that his shift didn't end until 7.

"Oh," she said, wondering if she had the energy to walk all the way there. Then again, even if she did, she didn't want to break down on his front steps.

"You're welcome to come in and wait for him," Nicole offered. The counselor in her wanted to bring Andy straight back to her office and find out what was wrong.

"I don't want to impose," Andy said.

"Don't be silly. You're not imposing. Besides, I could use a hand with dinner." Nicole stepped out of the way so Andy could enter the house. Nicole led the way into the kitchen, taking note of the way Andy looked down at the floor as she walked. "You want to help peel the potatoes?"

Andy simply nodded and Nicole handed the peeler over to her. Andy sat on the bar stool and continued to peel the potatoes that Nicole had already started as Nicole busied herself with preparing the chicken she was making for dinner.

Neither of them spoke for several minutes although Nicole constantly glanced over to see how Andy was doing. As she listened to her sniffle and she watched Andy rub the back of her hand over her eyes, Nicole couldn't take it anymore. Obviously Andy needed someone to talk to. She put the chicken in the oven and then walked over to the counter Andy was sitting at.

"Look, Andy, I know I'm just your boyfriend's mom and you probably don't want to talk to me, but, I might be able to help."

"I just…need to talk to Josh."

"Okay."

Nicole took a deep breath. She was afraid to ask the question that kept pushing into her mind. There was only one reason Nicole could think of that would make Andy so desperate to want to talk to Josh. And it was the one thing she hoped she would never have to talk to her teenage children about in their entire lives.

"Just know that no matter what it is, Stephen and I will…support you. You don't have to be afraid to talk to us. I know it's difficult, but you and Josh are going to need help."

"Mrs. Trager, I don't know what you're talking about, but…"

She was cut off by the sound of the front door opening and closing.

"Whatever you're cooking, it smells…" Josh appeared in the kitchen. "Andy."

"Hi," she said quietly. "We need to talk."

Josh looked from his mother to Andy and nodded. Andy put the peeler down on the counter, slid off the stool she was sitting on, and walked out of the room.

"Is she okay?" Josh asked his mom.

Nicole shook her head. "I don't know. She just showed up looking upset."

Josh left the room and found Andy upstairs, standing in the middle of his bedroom. Her back was to him.

"Andy, what…"

She turned and threw herself into his arms. Burying her head against his shoulder, her tears soaked his shirt. He put his arm around her and stroked her hair.

"Talk to me," he said. She couldn't stop sobbing. She didn't care if she was being irrational or acting like a child. She just needed him to hold her. She needed to be with him. She had wanted this when she found out that her cancer had returned. She had wanted to run into his arms, but that wasn't an option then. Now it was.

"Andy, please." He began to rub his hands in a circular motion on her back, trying to sooth her. Finally, he took a deep breath, dreading the question he was about to ask. "Is it your cancer?"

She finally lifted her head.

"No, it's not the cancer."

"Then what is it?"

"I'm…"

"You're what?"

"Moving."

"You're moving?"

"To Boston."

He opened his mouth, but not words came out. He didn't know what to say. He was stunned. It was completely out of the blue. He would never have thought that's what was upsetting her and yet, it seemed worse than anything he could have imagined.

"As in the Boston tea party?" He asked. He was secretly hoping that there was a Boston, Washington that he had never heard of.

"You really have been paying attention in history," she said, trying her best to smile.

"Andy, this isn't funny."

"Trust me," she said, leaving his embrace and walking over to sit on his bed. "I know."

"Please tell me there's a good reason why you're moving to Boston. Like, they found a cure for cancer and they'll only give it to you if you move there."

"You watch way too much TV."

"Andy." He was practically pleading with her to tell him what was going on.

"My mom got a promotion," she explained.

"You're moving across the country for a stupid promotion? What about everything? What about your treatments and school and…what about us?"

"My moms say they have everything worked out. And as for us…my flight leaves on Monday."

"Monday? As in this Monday? As in three days from now?"

She nodded and Josh slowly walked over to the bed, sitting down next to her. She leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed.

Downstairs, Nicole opened the oven door to check on the chicken.

"I'm home," Stephen announced as he walked in the front door. He made his way into the kitchen and greeted his wife with a kiss on the cheek. "Smells good in here."

"Thank you," Nicole replied.

"Where is everyone?"

She grabbed the rest of the peeled potatoes and began to cut them into slices.

"Lori's out with Hilary, Kyle's at The Rack with Amanda, and Josh is upstairs with Andy."

"Upstairs doing what exactly?"

"Stephen, I think something's wrong."

"What do you mean?"

Nicole put down the knife she was using and turned around.

"Andy came here obviously upset, but she wouldn't tell me what was wrong. She only wanted to talk to Josh."

"Okay, so what do you think is wrong?"

"I don't know."

"Nicole." He raised his eyebrows, knowing his wife had more to say.

"I think…Stephen, I think she might be pregnant."

Author's Note: Well, I know there was a lot of dialogue in this chapter, but I love writing dialogue. Thank you to all of the positive reviews I received!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Pregnant?" Stephen repeated in disbelief. "You really think she's pregnant?"

"I don't know. I mean, I didn't even think they were…" she sighed. "I just can't think of what else it could be."

"Well, what about her cancer? Maybe a test came back bad and she's upset about it or…"

Nicole sighed. "Maybe. I just…I have a bad feeling."

"Yeah, well, we're going to figure this out right now."

Stephen stomped towards the stairs.

"Stephen, stop," Nicole stated, running after him.

"You're just going to let them be up there together doing God knows what when you think she might be pregnant?!"

"Give them time."

"Oh, I think they've had plenty of time together."

He started up the stairs. "Stephen, just listen to me. Let them talk it out. Let them come to us when they're ready."

Stephen looked to the top of the stairs before climbing back down them.

In his room, Josh reached for a tissue from his bedside table and handed it to Andy. She dabbed at her eyes and blew her nose.

"We'll figure something out," Josh said.

She played with the tissue in her hand.

"What can we do? They've already made up their minds."

"I don't know, but I'm not losing you."

He kissed the top of her head. Andy's cell phone began to ring. She pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the caller ID.

"It's my mom."

"Let me guess, they don't know you're here."

"I guess you could say I sort of…ran out. I should go."

"You can stay if you want."

"No, I…I need to talk to my moms. Hopefully this time without yelling."

"I'll walk you home."

They both stood and walked out of the room together. As they walked down the stairs and past the kitchen, Josh yelled that he would be back soon. Stephen would have stopped him from leaving if Nicole hadn't held him back.

Holding hands, Josh and Andy walked down the street together. They walked slowly, neither of them particularly in a hurry to get to Andy's house.

"It's going to be okay," Josh assured her as they walked up her front lawn.

"That's what people say when things can't get any worse."

He put his hands on both sides of her face and waited until her eyes met his.

"I promise you, no one is taking you away from me."

Josh bent his head and kissed her deeply. He wanted her to know that he would never let her go.

The front door opened and Andy's mother stepped out onto the porch.

"Andy," she said sternly.

Andy pulled away and glanced over at her mother.

"I'll call you," she said to Josh before walking up the front steps and into her house.

Josh waited until the front door closed before heading back to his house. He couldn't believe what was going on. He felt like he was going to wake up from the bad dream he was in at any moment. How could Andy be moving? Between that and her cancer, it was like destiny didn't want them to be together. But Josh wasn't going to let it happen.

He walked home, shuffling his feet as he went. He trudged up his front steps, opened the door, and headed straight for his bedroom. He was no longer hungry.

"Josh, can we see you in the kitchen, please?"

He stopped at the foot of the stairs and walked into the kitchen, stopping in the doorway.

"Look, whatever it is, I'm not really in the mood," he muttered.

His father slid off the bar stool he was sitting on and walked right over to him, standing less than a foot away.

"How could you have been so careless?"

"Stephen," Nicole warned, also standing up.

"What?" Josh asked, completely confused.

"We raised you better than this. We taught you to be safe!"

"What are you talking about?"

"You're only sixteen for God's sake! This is going to ruin your life!"

"Stephen, you promised…" Nicole said, tugging on his arm. She had tried to get him to stay calm, but obviously that wasn't happening. She understood his anger and disappointment because she was feeling it too, but her training had taught her that self control was important when getting through to people.

"Wait…I have no idea what you guys are talking about," Josh insisted.

"How do you even know it's yours?" Stephen shouted. "I mean she could be with other guys and you wouldn't even know it."

"Stephen, that's uncalled for," Nicole stated.

"How do I know what's mine? Who's with other guys? What the hell is going on?"

"Hey, watch the language!" Stephen yelled.

"Josh, is Andy pregnant?" Nicole blurted out. It was the only way she could think of stopping the shouting match that was going on between her husband and son.

"What?!" Josh exclaimed. "No! She's not pregnant! What would make you think she's pregnant?"

"Well, she was very upset and I just thought…" Nicole began.

"Yeah, well you thought wrong. She's not pregnant, she's moving!"

"Moving?" Stephen asked.

"To Boston!" Josh pointed his finger at his father's chest. "And if you ever talk about Andy like she's some kind of…slut again, I'll…"

"Josh!" Nicole shouted.

Josh glared at his father before turning to go to his room. "And just for the record," he said, turning back at the last moment. "We're not even having sex."

He stormed away, running up the stairs. Nicole cringed when she heard his bedroom door slam.

"Well, that's a relief," Stephen said, sitting down again on one of the stools.

"A relief? I can't imagine that having gone worse."

"At least we know she's not pregnant."

"Yeah, well, we could have known that a lot sooner if you had just kept your cool. And

really, attacking Andy's moral character like that. That was low."

Stephen sighed. "You're right. I was just…so angry at him. I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry."

"Don't tell me that, tell him."

"I'll give him a little bit to cool down. Then I'll talk to him. I'm afraid if I go up there

right now, he'd slug me."

"And I wouldn't blame him."

"Neither would I."

Nicole began to search through the refrigerator for the bag of salad she knew was in there somewhere.

"Now what are we going to do about Andy moving?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well she's obviously upset about it," she said, finally finding the lettuce. "And Josh looks pretty devastated."

"It may seem like the end of the world right now, but he'll get over it." Nicole raised her eyebrows at him as she ripped the bag open and poured the contents into a large salad bowl. "My best friend moved away when I was a kid and I got over it."

"You were in second grade," Nicole stated. "I wouldn't exactly call that a comparison."

"And he's only sixteen. Trust me, he'll be fine."

"I'm not so sure."

"Come on, whatever he and Andy have going on, it's just young puppy love."

"Young puppy love? Have you seen the way they look at each other?"

"Not particularly."

"Well, did he ever tell you that his foot was tapping on their first date?"

"Unofficial date, you mean."

"Either way, who does that remind you of?"

He sighed. "You and me."

"Exactly."

"Do you really think they're that serious?"

"Maybe. Maybe not." Nicole finally sat down on the stool next to him. "But look at it this way, Josh has done a complete one-eighty in the last few months. His grades have never been better, he hardly ever gets into trouble at school anymore, and he actually does his chores without being reminded. Not to mention that, for the first time ever, I've heard him talk about going to college. And not just college, but medical school."

"You think that's all because of Andy?"

"He wants to be a doctor to cure her cancer, Stephen. So, yeah, I'd say that it's because of Andy. Love is a powerful motivator."

"It's scary to think about our sixteen year old son in love."

"And we can't do anything to protect him."

"What do you mean?"

"As parents we're supposed to protect our children. We make them sit in car seats and wear helmets and not swim in the deep end of the pool…"

"But?"

"But we can't do anything to protect their hearts. I mean, first Andy's cancer and now this. How much can a teenage boy take?"

Stephen put his arm around her shoulder. "He's strong, Nicole."

"I know. I just hate seeing him hurt. It breaks my heart."

He pulled her towards him, resting her head against his shoulder.

"It's going to be okay," he assured her even though he wasn't sure of it himself.

Author's Note: I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story. I've gotten some great reviews and I appreciate each and every one of them! And, in case you wanted to know a little bit about how my mind works, the last conversation between Stephen and Nicole in this chapter was the first scene of this story I wrote (of course, I wrote it in class when I should have been paying attention, but that's okay). So, like most of my stories, I've been writing this one out of order which is always tricky in making everything come together. But anyway, thank you again and please keep reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Lying on his bed, Josh stared at the ceiling. He kept going over what Andy said in his mind. He had to come up with something. He was the master of all schemes and this was going to have to be one of the biggest – what could they do to convince her moms to let her stay?

There was a knock on the door.

"Go away," he said. The door opened anyway.

Stephen walked into Josh's room, closing the door behind him.

"Can we talk?" Stephen asked.

"That depends." He sat up. "Are you going to insult my girlfriend and yell at me for something I didn't do?"

"Josh, I'm sorry," he apologized. "I know what I said was wrong. I was upset and I said things were inappropriate and totally uncalled for. I'm sorry."

Josh nodded and slid over so his father could also sit on the bed. Stephen took a seat.

"I probably said some things that I shouldn't have said, too" Josh said.

"Well, I'd say we're even. So, Andy's moving?"

"Her mom got a promotion. She's leaving on Monday."

"That soon?"

Josh shrugged. "I guess it's a really good promotion."

"I know this is going to be hard, Josh."

"I just don't know what to do for her. I feel like she's told me that she has cancer all over again. Only this time, we're not just friends. She means so much to me, dad. And I told her that everything was going to be okay. I told her we'd figure out some way we'd stay together. But I don't know what to do."

"All you can is support her. Josh, if her moms are moving, you know she has to go with them."

"I know."

"But, if you care about her as much as you say you do, then let her know that it doesn't matter how far apart you are, you'll still care about her."

"I guess."

Stephen put his hand on Josh's shoulder. "Just hang in there."

The next day, Josh pulled up in front of Andy's house. He stared at her bedroom window and took a deep breath. He had been up all night thinking about what he was going to do and he knew his dad was right. There was nothing he could do to keep Andy with him any more than he could go to Boston with her. That was just something he was going to have to accept and help her accept as well.

He got out of the car and walked to the front door. Andy's mom answered when he knocked. She told him that Andy was upstairs in her room. Josh walked through the house and noticed that they had already started packing. The little knickknacks that made a house a home were no longer out on the shelves and side tables.

Josh made his way to Andy's bedroom. He could see her sitting on her bed listening to her IPod as he approached.

"Hi," she said, pulling the ear buds out of her ears.

"Hi yourself," he replied, sitting down next to her.

Her room looked exactly the same as it always did except for the dozen or so empty boxes that were piled up in the middle of the room.

"How did you go with your moms last night?"

"Well, after they accused me of being ungrateful and I threatened that if we didn't stay, I was going to become a republican, I went to my room and haven't come out since."

"Wait, you used threatening to become a republican as a bargaining tool?"

"Trust me, my moms are big democrats. I think they'd rather disown me than have a republican child."

"Wow, hardcore."

"Yeah, you could say that."

"If it makes you feel any better, things with my parents didn't go so well either."  
"What do you mean?"

"Well, after I got home and they yelled at me for getting you pregnant…"

"Wait, what?"

"Apparently my mom assumed that the only thing that could make you as upset as you were would be that you were carrying my love child."

Andy burst out laughing and Josh joined her. He draped his arm around her shoulder.

"You know, that's not such a bad idea."

"What's not such a bad idea?"

"Well," she said, looking him directly in the eye, "if I get pregnant, they can't exactly separate us, can they?" Her face was completely deadpan. Josh didn't quite know what to say. Was she kidding? She had to be kidding. "Come on, it could be fun." She ran her finger down his arm and raised her eyebrow flirtatiously.

"You're not being serious, are you?"

She cracked a smile.

"You didn't really think I'd give up this body for a smelly, messy, crying baby, did you?"

"No, but sometimes your mind is really scary."

"Thank you," she said before she practically jumped on top of him, knocking him back. She kissed him deeply, running her through his hair.

"Andy!" Her mother yelled. "You better be packing!"

"What a mood killer," Andy said, pushing herself off of him. She pointed to the boxes. "I'm supposed to be packing."

"I can see you're doing a good job. Want some help?"

She shook her head. "I'm not packing."

"Andy, you're going to have to pack eventually."

"I'm not going."

"What do you mean you're not going?" A small amount of hope entered his mind.

"I'm staying here."

"But your moms are downstairs packing."

"They might be going, but I'm not. I'll run away and hide out or…"

"Run away? You can't just hide until your moms leave and think that they'll forget about you."

"Whose side are you on?"

"I'm not on anybody's side."

"Oh no? Because you're supposed to be on mine."

"I know this is hard, but…"

She jumped up off the bed in anger.

"What are you talking about? Last night you said that you didn't want me to go. You said that no matter what it took, we would be together. And now you're practically telling me to leave!"

"Andy, you know I don't want you to go."

"Then why are you acting like you do?"

He stood up and took a step towards her. She backed up.

"I just think we need to face reality."

"Reality? You think I'm not facing reality?"

"I think this is all happening so fast and you're scared and…"

"Do you want to know what I think? I think the only reality here is that you're a liar."

"Andy…"

He reached out for her. He didn't know what was going on. He didn't know why she was so angry or what he could do to make it better.

"You promised," she said near tears. Her lip was quivering. She didn't know what was happening. She wasn't angry at him and yet, she was. She had secretly been hoping that he would come up with some great idea as to how she could stay

"Look, I know I said we would figure something out and we will. But just because we're not in the same state doesn't mean that we can't still be together."

"So is this your way of being able to date other people and keep your girlfriend on the side?"

"Date other people? Andy, you know that you're the only one I want. We can make this work."

"Oh really? How many teenage relationships do you know that work long distance?"

"Is that what you think this is?" He raised his voice. "Just some teenage relationship?" Why was he suddenly so angry with her? He had come over to see her to tell her that everything was going to be alright and here he was, yelling.

"You're the one who wants me to leave!"

"How many times do I have to say it? I don't want you to leave!"

"Yeah, well I want you to leave. Get out!"

"What?"

"I said get out!"

"Fine, I'm leaving!"

Shoving his hands in his pockets, he practically ran out of the room.

"Yeah, well have a nice rest of your life!" Andy shouted down the hallway as he slammed the front door closed. She sank to her knees in her bedroom doorway. What was happening?

Author's Note: I know, it's a short one, but it was a logical place to end the chapter. Thank you again for all of my great reviews!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Andy walked into the Rack and looked around. He was sitting at a table alone in the far right corner, a soda in his hand and a magazine open in front of him. She could sense that something was different about him and she knew that she was the reason behind the sudden change.

She approached him slowly, pushing her hair behind her ears. It had been a long, sleepless night. She had spent a good hour just sitting on the floor crying and then she spent the rest of the night lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, wishing she hadn't said most of the things she said. At some point in the middle of the night she realized that she had never felt so utterly hopeless. Even when she was diagnosed with cancer the second time, she still had some hope that she would survive. This, though, was somehow different. Cancer was something she had no control over. But moving was something she should have had control over and didn't.

"Hi," she said as she walked over to his table. She didn't sit, unsure if he'd want her to.

"Hey," he replied, closing the magazine. He was surprised and glad to see her. With only one night left, he was afraid that they would spend the entire time not speaking to each other rather than spending every second together they possibly could.

"I've been looking for you," she stated.

"I've been here all morning."

She was trying to control her emotions. She promised herself that she wouldn't cry, but it was like someone was flicking her emotions on and off with a switch. One minute she was weeping and the next she was angry.

"Look, Josh, I came here to apologize about yesterday," Andy said, finally sitting down opposite him. "I know you don't want me to leave, but I'm just so…angry. I don't want to go."

"I know," he said, reaching across the table and squeezing her hand. "And I don't want you to go. But Andy, I promise you that just because you're leaving doesn't mean that we can't stay together."

"Maybe it does."

"What?"

"I was up all night thinking about how everything bad that's happened between us is my fault."

"I'm not following."

"First my cancer, now this. I mean, you never asked for any of this. And if you were with someone else, you wouldn't have to be dealing with these things. You could just be a normal teenager who stays out too late and doesn't have to worry about cancer or moving across the country or..."

"I don't want to be a normal teenager, Andy. And I don't want to be with anyone else."

"Maybe not now, but what happens in a week? A month? Two months? You told me yesterday that I need to start facing reality. Well the reality is…" She stopped, trying to gather her thoughts.

"What?"

"That you're a hormonal teenage boy who can't keep his hands off a pair of boobs when he sees them."

Josh's jaw dropped. She had gone from being completely serious to cracking a joke without even a change in her facial expression. And he knew how to do exactly the same thing.

"I'm the hormonal one? Might I remind you that you're the one who begged me to feel you up first."

She finally cracked a smile, but it quickly disappeared.

"Seriously, though, Josh, if you want to break up…"

"How many times do I have to tell you that I want to be with you? Andy, I promised you that I would be with you through everything. And I'm going to keep that promise."

"Well, look on the bright side. At least know you won't have to hold my hair back while my face is planted in the toilet." She smiled, but he didn't. "That was a joke."

"It's not funny."

"Josh…"

"I don't care how far away we are, I told you, I'm going to be with you through everything."

"But how?"

He thought about her question. How could he be there for her when she was so far away? And would she let him be with her?

"Maybe I can't hold your hair back, but every test, every treatment, every trip to the bathroom to puke your guts out, I'm going to be there. All you have to do is pick up the phone and I'll be with you every second."

"Josh…"

"You were being serious before, well this is my time. Every moment, Andy, I'm going to be there."

"I guess it's a good thing that we have in-calling." This time he did smile. "Although it is a three hour time difference."

"Yeah, well, it'll give me an excuse to stay up late."

"Except you'll be three hours behind me."

He shrugged. "So it'll give me an excuse to skip class in the middle of the day."

"Oh no, I'm not going to be the reason you start failing classes."

"No, you're the reason I started doing well in classes."

She smiled and he squeezed her hand again.

"I should go," she said.

"I thought we could spend some time together. I mean, you're…"

"Leaving tomorrow, I know. But, since I spent the whole day yesterday brooding, I've still got a lot of packing to do."

"Okay, I'll call you later. Maybe we can do something tonight."

"Actually, my mom wanted to invite you and your parents over for dinner."

"Dinner?"

"She wants to cook one more big meal before she has to say goodbye to her brand new, stainless steel stove. And she thought it would be good for our parents to meet before they won't have the chance to anymore."

"I'll ask my mom."

"Okay."

"So maybe I'll see you tonight?"

She stood up.

"Big family dinner or no big family dinner, we'll definitely be seeing each other. There's no way I'm spending my last night here without you."

She leaned over the table and Josh met her halfway. They kissed deeply and would have kept on kissing if Andy didn't put her hand on his chest, stopping him. She knew if she didn't stop him, she never would.

"Bye," she whispered before walking out.

Josh closed the front door and walked down the hallway to Nicole's office. The door was wide open so he poked his head in. She wasn't there. He sighed. He needed to talk to his mom. Actually, he needed to talk to his mom as a professional, not as a mom, something he seemed to do more and more often.

"Looking for me?" Nicole asked as she walked up behind him.

"Can we talk?"

Nicole nodded and led the way into her office. Instead of sitting behind her desk as she usually did with her patients, Nicole sat in one of the wicker chairs she left for her clients. Josh sat in the other.

"You okay?" Nicole questioned, knowing the answer was no.

"Andy's leaving tomorrow," Josh answered.

"Josh, I know this isn't easy…"

"It's not just her leaving, mom," he interrupted.

"What do you mean?"

"She came to the Rack to apologize for…flipping out on my yesterday."

"That's a good thing isn't it?"

"Yeah, well, she also suggested we break up."

"What?"

"She seems to think that I've dealt with enough between her cancer and now her moving that I deserve someone else with less…problems."

"And what do you think?"

Josh shook his head. "I told her I don't want anyone else."

"But?"

"But I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"I'm afraid that she'll shut me out. I mean, she barely wanted to tell me about her cancer in the first place and then when she finally did tell me about it, she tried to keep me away from her when she started chemo. And, even after I convinced her that that wasn't okay, this whole time she constantly pretends she's feeling better than she actually is. It's like she doesn't want me to know that she's sick."

"And?"

"What if she goes there and gets worse?"

"I thought the doctors said she was getting better?"

"They did, but what if they're wrong? What if she gets worse and doesn't tell me because she doesn't want me to worry or she doesn't want me to know? What if she gets sick, mom, I mean, really sick and I'm not there? What if she…" he swallowed. "Dies and I don't know about it? What if the last time I ever get to see her is tomorrow?" His voice trailed off as he wiped his eyes.

"Oh, Josh. Andy is strong, she's…"

"I know. I know all that and I know in my heart that she's going to make it, but I just can't get the thought of her lying in some hospital bed alone and me not even knowing it out of my head."

"You need to talk to her about how you feel."

"That's a great conversation starter. I know you're already upset about moving so why don't I throw one more log on the fire and worry you about whether or not you're going to die."

"I know it's hard, but if you don't talk to her now, Josh, you'll regret it. Just make her realize that you won't be shut out."

"Yeah, easier said than done."

Nicole put her hand on his. "Josh, I promise you that if she gets worse, you will be there with her. We'll find a way."

"Thanks mom."

"You know that no matter what happens, we'll be here for you, right?"

"I know."

"I love you, honey."

"I love you, too, mom."

Nicole leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her son. She felt tear roll down her cheek. She still was trying to protect him, but she was finding it harder and harder.

Author's Note: So, this isn't particularly my favorite chapter I've ever written, but at least it's done. I'm trying to work on this story as much as I can, but real life keeps getting in the way. I hope to have the next chapter up soon. Thank you for reading and a special thanks to all of my fabulous reviewers!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Andy quietly set the table with the last remaining dishes that hadn't been packed yet. She put down the last plate and headed back to the kitchen to grab the utensils.

"What time did you tell Josh?" Her mom asked. She was in the middle of cutting carrots for the soup she was making.

Andy didn't answer. She hadn't spoken to either of her moms since she had arrived home from the Rack. She had immediately gone into her room, slammed the door, and refused to come out. After sitting on her bed and staring at the wall for more than an hour, she finally began packing slowly. She didn't want to, but she knew that she didn't have a choice. It seemed like every time she put something into a box, she felt her heart sink a little lower in her chest.

After a few hours, she managed to pack most things that she was planning on taking with her. But there was one thing she couldn't stand to pack. Her cancer girl T-Shirt. It was the only thing left hanging in her closet. She couldn't stand the thought of packing it away with all of her other things. It didn't belong in some stupid cardboard box. It was too important for that.

"Andy…" her mother prompted, hoping to get her to talk to her. Andy was snapped out of remembering the shirt hanging by itself in her closet.

Andy opened the silverware drawer. Most of the utensils were gone, having already been packed into a box somewhere. The sight made her eyes water. She grabbed the remaining forks, knives, and spoons and headed for the dining room.

"Honey…"

"Seven," Andy said, standing in the doorway with her back to her mother.

"What?"

"Josh texted and said he and his parents would be here at seven."

She walked into the dining room, not waiting for any kind of response. She dropped the utensils on the table and sank into one of the chairs. She still couldn't believe that in less than twenty-four hours, she would be gone.

"Whatever you do," Josh said, standing on Andy's front steps with his parents, "don't say anything embarrassing."

"We'll do our best," Nicole replied.

Josh went to rang the doorbell, but pulled his hand away.

"And don't talk about moving or packing or Boston."

"We promise," Stephen assured him.

"And don't mention her cancer. And don't…"

"Josh, despite what you may think, we do know how to act during dinner," Stephen stated.

Josh took a deep breath. He didn't know what was worse – his parents meeting his girlfriend's parents for the first time or trying to sit through a civilized dinner when he really just wanted to yell at Andy's moms for taking her away from him.

Shuffling the flowers he had in his hand, he raised his hand and rang the doorbell. The door swung open seconds later.

"Mr. and Mrs. Trager, it's so nice to finally meet you," Andy's mom said, a big smile on her face. Even though she was hurting for her daughter, she was determined to be the perfect hostess.

"It's nice to meet you, too," Stephen replied.

Andy's mom ushered them inside, taking their coats and hanging them in the front closet. She led them into the living room where Andy's mother was standing in front of the couch.

"I'm Jane and this is my wife Pat," she introduced.

"It's lovely to meet you both," Nicole said as she and Stephen shook Jane and Pat's hands.

"If you'll excuse me, I need to finish up with dinner," Jane said.

"It smells delicious," Nicole complimented. "Can I help you with anything?"

"The kitchen is Jane's domain," Pat explained. "She doesn't let anyone so much as touch the food."

Jane rolled her eyes in a playful way and Josh realized he had seen that look on Andy's face many times. It was obviously something she inherited from her mom.

"What my darling wife is trying to say," Jane began, "is thank you but I'm all set and please make yourselves at home."

Jane walked off into the kitchen. Nicole and Stephen sat on the couch while Josh stood awkwardly, wondering where Andy was.

"She's in her room," Pat stated, noticing Josh's confusion.

"Thanks," he said. He made his way down the hall and to her room. Her door was shut. He knocked lightly.

"Come in," she said quietly.

He opened the door and saw her standing in front of the mirror with a brush in her hand. She was wearing a plain, black skirt with a red tank top and white sweater. She looked more dressed up than usual.

"Hey," he said.

She sighed. "I can't figure out what to do with my hair," she moaned, running the brush through it.

He walked up behind her. "I thought Andy Jensen didn't care what people thought of her hair."

"I don't, but I want this night to be…"

"Perfect?"

She sighed and turned around. Dropping the brush, she buried her head against his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly.

"Andy, it's just dinner."

"I know, but it's dinner with your parents."

"You've eaten dinner with my parents before," Josh pointed out.

"Yes, but it's the first time our parents are meeting and…"

"And what?"

"It's our last dinner," she whispered.

Tears began to leak from her eyes. He held her tighter and kissed the top of her head.

"Don't think of it that way."

"Kids!" Jane yelled. "Dinner's ready!"

She quickly wiped her eyes.

"I guess we should go," Andy said, disentangling herself from his arms. She began to walk to the door, but he pulled on her arm. "What?"

"I like your hair just the way it is."

She smiled as they walked out together. He squeezed her hand, trying to be reassuring, but he wasn't so assured himself. This would be their last meal together for a very long time. Something that he always just took for granted wouldn't be an option anymore.

When they arrived in the dining room, Nicole and Stephen were already seated on one side of the oblong table. Pat was sitting on one end and Jane was putting the main dish, chicken cordon bleu, down in the middle of the table. Josh and Andy sat across from Nicole and Stephen, pushing their chairs closer together.

"This looks delicious," Stephen commented, taking his napkin and putting it in his lap.

"Well, Jane is our resident chef," Pat responded.

"It's just a hobby," Jane insisted.

Jane sat and they began passing the food around the table.

"I can't believe it's taken us this long to all meet," Pat said.

"I can't believe it's taken us moving to get us to all meet," Andy mumbled under her breath. Pat threw her a glaring look.

"Pat, what is it that you do?" Nicole asked.

"Ruin my life," Andy muttered.

"Andy," Pat said sternly, shooting her another stare that only an annoyed mother could produce. "I'm a lawyer."

"Who conveniently got a promotion that's going to basically destroy the rest of my life!"

"Andromeda, that's enough!" Pat yelled.

"Oh, it's okay for you to hold a conversation like everything's fine and dandy, but…!"

"Andy," Jane interjected, trying to calm her.

"No, mom!" Andy shouted. "I'm not going to stop and I'm not going to pretend that everything's alright because it's not!"

"Honey, you know that this isn't the time for this conversation."

"Then when is the time, mom because our plane leaves in less than twenty-four hours! So, tell me, when would you like to have this conversation?" No one said anything. Josh tried to hold onto her hand, but she pulled away and stood up. "You're trying to take me away from everything that matters to me!"

"Andy, please," Jane begged. "Let's just talk about this later."

"No, let her speak her peace," Pat said, crossing her arms coolly across her chest.

Andy glared at her mother, staring straight at her. "I can handle being ripped from high school. I can deal with getting new doctors. But I cannot be without him!" She yelled, pointing to Josh.

"Andy, you seem to have this notion that your relationship is bigger than it actually is. You two are in high school!"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Andy asked angrily.

"Honey, you know that I respect Josh and I think he is a great young man, but things change. You'll both change and you'll see that what you thought was a big, momentous relationship was nothing but a simple high school crush."

"Stop! I don't care what you say about us only being in high school. I know how I feel!" Andy insisted.

"And what do you feel?" Pat asked.

"I love him!"

Josh blinked several times and stared up at her, shocked at her words. He didn't know what he should do or if he should do anything. He was speechless. He felt like he couldn't move. Nicole and Stephen simply sat, equally as stunned.

"You don't know what love is," Pat stated.

"I know love is the reason I wake up in the morning. You don't know what it's like to be fighting something inside your body that's killing you, but I do. Sometimes it just gets so hard to keep fighting that I just want to give up. I want to close my eyes and never open them again because it feels like there's nothing worth living for anymore." Tears began to stream down her face. "But then I remember him. I remember the way he says my name. I remember what it's like to just be near him. I remember the way his lips feel and…it makes me want to open my eyes. It makes me want to keep fighting no matter how bad it gets. He is my something to live for. And if you want to take that away from me, I don't know if next time I close my eyes, I'll want to open them again." She finally pried her eyes away from her mother and bolted away from the table.

Author's Note: I don't have much to say about this one except that it was a fun one to write. Please don't forget to review!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Josh stared at the front door, still wide open from Andy flinging it open and running through it. Everyone, including Josh, was shocked, trying to make sense of what had just happened. But Josh knew what made sense – he needed to be with her. He stood up and looked at both of his parents. Nicole subtly nodded and he ran towards the door.

"Josh!" Stephen yelled after him. Josh ignored him and ran out the door.

"Well," Pat said, taking a sip of her wine. "That wasn't exactly how I pictured the evening going."

"I'm so sorry for Andy's behavior," Jane apologized, her eyes brimming with tears.

"You don't need to apologize," Nicole insisted. "Trust me, we have teenagers, too."

"Should we go after her?" Jane asked.

"Josh will find her," Nicole assured them.

"And when he does and she comes home, trust me, she'll be punished accordingly," Pat stated.

"With all due respect," Nicole began. She could feel the therapist in her taking over. She had dealt with runaways before, but she knew that wasn't the case with Andy. This was a much different situation than an abusive home or a teenager who just didn't want to deal with his or her parents anymore. "I think Andy's just upset and scared. And I can't blame her. I mean, she's being asked to give up everything she knows."

"We're not doing this to hurt her," Jane insisted.

"I know that," Nicole replied. "And I think deep inside she knows that, too, but that doesn't stop her from being afraid."

An uncomfortable pause fell upon them.

"She's just a child," Pat said finally, tears forming in her eyes. She was always considered to be the tougher of Andy's mom, the disciplinarian, but she loved her daughter and would do anything to protect her. "How can she know what love is?"

"I think we all have to start to realize that our children aren't children anymore," Nicole said. She sighed deeply. "I can't even imagine what it's like for your daughter to deal with everything she's had to deal with. She's been forced to grow beyond her years. But I do know that she's come into my son's life and it truly was a blessing. I have never seen him so driven to want to make something of himself.

"She does seem happier with him than she's ever been," Jane added.

Nicole smiled, knowing Josh was happier with her, too. "Maybe none of us were ready for love at sixteen. But maybe, just maybe, they are. And maybe they're the lucky ones to have found it so early."

"So what do we do?" Jane questioned, willing to do anything to get her daughter back.

Outside, Josh ran as quickly as he could down the street. He finally caught a glimpse of Andy turning the corner. He raced after her.

"Andy!" He yelled as his feet pounded against the pavement. He chased her for more than three blocks. Somehow, even though she had cancer, she could still outrun him. Suddenly, she stopped and turned around. He slowed. Still at least twenty yards away, he walked towards her slowly. He could hear her sobs and, as he got closer, he could see the tears running down her cheeks.

"Let's just get out of here," she cried between her sobs.

"What?" He could barely understand what she was saying. He had never seen her so visibly upset. Even when she first told him that she was moving, her face wasn't as anguished as it was now. She was physically shaking, her body racked with sobs.

"Let's get out of here together. Just run away and never look back."

"Andy…"

"Please don't say anything unless you're going to say yes."

Finally close enough to touch her, he rested his hand against her cheek, wiping her tears away with his thumb.

"You know I'd do anything for you," he said quietly.

"Then let's just get in your car and go."

"I wish we could, but…"

"But what?"

He put his arms around her waist, pulling her closer to him. Andy looked at him so pleadingly. He wanted to say yes. He wanted to take her away and to make her tears disappear.

"But we're only sixteen."

She put her hands against his chest, trying to push him away. She wanted to keep running, but he held onto her.

"Andy, I know that you want to get as far away from here as possible. I know you don't want to go, but it's not forever."

She struggled against him. "Let me go!"

"If we ran away together, how far would we get? Where would we go?"

"Anywhere but here!" She answered.

"Andy, I've got maybe two hundred dollars in the bank. And while I would give that and everything else I own up in a heartbeat to be with you, I can't because I need it for something else."

She looked up at him with teary eyes. "What?"

"To buy a plane ticket to Boston on the first day of summer vacation."

She smiled weakly and finally stopped pushing against him. She wrapped her arms tightly around him, tucking her head under his chin. They stayed that way, standing on the sidewalk, for a long time.

"I'm sorry," she finally whispered. "I know my emotions have been all over the place recently. And to hear my mother say that what we have is only…" she sniffled, unable to finish her sentence. "I guess I sort of overreacted."

"Well, that's what I'm here for. To keep you in check." She smiled a real smile this time. "Now that's what I've been looking for," he said before he planted a light kiss on her lips. She leaned her head in the crook of his neck, sighing deeply while closing her eyes. She loved kissing him, but she loved just being held by him even more.

"Andy," he said softly. She picked up her head to look at him. "Did you mean what you said back there to your moms?"

She nodded. "Every word."

"Good, because I love you, too."

This time their kiss was anything but light. She practically melted into him as passion and love erupted between them.

"I want to be with you tonight," she whispered.

"What?" He asked, unsure if he heard her correctly. His head was still spinning from the kiss.

"I want to spend my last night here with you. Not alone in a house that barely feels like mine anymore."

He nodded. "I think I'd be okay with that."

"Good," she said simply. He disentangled his arms from her body and held her hand. They began to walk off in the direction of Josh's house. As they walked, Andy leaned her head on his shoulder. They walked in silence until they arrived at his house. Josh began to head for the front door.

"Where are you going?" Andy asked.

"I thought you wanted to stay with me," he replied.

"I do, but don't you think your parents won't be so keen on the idea. And even if by some miracle they are, the secret code of parent ethics says that they'll have to call my moms and they definitely won't be too keen on the idea."

"Wow, you've really thought his through."

She shrugged. "It was a long walk."

"Well, how about this? Since I'd rather not get grounded for the rest of my life for spending the night in my car, which is probably our only other option, I promise that I will be able to convince my parents to let you stay."

"Yes, but the whole point is to stay with you, not in the guest bedroom."

"We don't have a guest bedroom." There was that sarcasm she loved so much. "Trust me," he continued. "Nothing will keep me away from you."

She nodded and let herself be led inside. They walked through the house and up the stairs, both thankful that, at least for the time being, they were alone. Josh led the way into his room, closing the bedroom door behind him. As Andy sat down on the edge of his bed, he began to feel nervous. They had never discussed moving their relationship to the next level and yet, she was sitting as if waiting for him to make the first move.

"Josh…"

"Andy…" he said at the same time. They both laughed nervously.

"We could…you know, if you wanted to," she said, staring down at the floor, unable to look at him. It's not like this was the first time she had thought of him in that way, but it was the first time it felt possible.

He didn't know what to say. Did he want to? Well, of course he wanted to. He had always imagined them together in that way, but this was moving fast. It was probably every teenage boy's dream to have a girl sitting on his bed telling him it was okay, but Josh just wasn't as excited as he should have been.

"Do you want to?" He asked.

She began to shuffle her feet on the floor.

"Yes," she answered. He didn't know what to say or do. "Someday," she continued. "Just…"

"What?"

"Part of me thinks that this might be our only chance and the other part of me thinks that I don't want to rush anything just because I'm leaving. I mean, we wouldn't even be having this conversation if I weren't moving."

"You're right, we wouldn't be."

"But I just don't want you to be disappointed. We still can if you want to."

He walked over to her and kneeled down in front of her. "You could never disappoint me," he said, taking her hand in his. "And I think we should wait, too. Besides, we'll be together again."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because I love you." The words sent shivers down her spine. They were still so new to her. She didn't think she'd ever get tired of hearing them. She leaned down and kissed him deeply. He began to stand while their lips were still connected in a passionate kiss. He was about to tumble on top of her onto the bed when they both heard the front door open and close.

"Josh!" Nicole yelled in a 'you better get down here right now' sort of way.

"Well," Josh said, running his hand through her hair. "I guess it's time to hope that my parents are as cool as they say they are." He squeezed her hand. "Everything's going to be okay."

She nodded. "I know."

Author's Note: Another chapter done. I'm sorry it's taking me so long to finish this story, but life is busier than ever. I promise I'm working on it as much as I can, though! Thanks for the great reviews!


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

He helped Andy off the bed and they made their way together out of the room and down the stairs. Nicole and Stephen were just hanging up their coats in the front closet when Josh and Andy made it to the bottom of the stairs.

"Before you say anything," Josh began, squeezing Andy's hand. "We know it was wrong to run away like that and we know that what we're about to ask breaks like fifty parenting rules, but just consider that at least we did come back and not actually run away when we very well could have and we're trying to be responsible, but this is our last night together and…" He knew he was rambling, but he didn't know how else to say what he needed to say.

"What Josh is trying to say if he would just stop rambling," Andy interrupted, "is that I would like to spend the night here. With him."

"Okay," Nicole replied simply without skipping a beat.

"But mom, just listen…" Josh began to retort, sure that Nicole had said no.

Andy nudged him in the ribs. "She said okay," she told him.

"Wait a minute," Josh said, "What's the catch?"

"There's no catch," Stephen replied.

"There's always a catch," Josh stated.

"After you two…left," Nicole explained, "your father and I spoke to Andy's moms and we all agreed that you are both responsible and trustworthy. And we know that this is important to you."

"My moms actually agreed to this?" Andy asked, completely shocked.

"Your moms just want to make sure you're safe," Stephen stated.

"Yeah, right," Andy replied, rolling her eyes.

"You know, Andy, it might be hard to believe right now, but some day you'll realize that your moms just want what's best for you," Nicole responded.

"Well, they sure don't show it," Andy retorted.

"Andy, I can't speak for your mothers. But I know how hard it is for parents to admit that their child is growing up and it's even harder to admit that your child is growing up, falling in love, and one day very soon will be leaving you. But I think your moms are beginning to understand that you're not a little girl anymore. They're willing to try if you are."

"And that's why they agreed to let me stay with Josh?" Andy asked.

"That and because they know how much you care about each other," Nicole explained. "And so do we."

"But just remember," Stephen added, "even though you think you might be ready…"

"You're about to give us the safe sex talk, aren't you?" Josh interrupted.

"Actually, I was hoping it was going to be more of a no sex talk," Stephen answered.

"Well, don't worry, Andy and I have already talked about it. You can trust us."

"We know we can," Nicole stated, smiling.

"Thanks mom," Josh said. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Nicole and Stephen said at the same time. Josh turned to head back upstairs, but Andy stayed where she was.

"I just wanted to say thank you Mr. and Mrs. Trager not only for letting me stay here tonight, but for really making me feel welcome in your home. And for not encouraging Josh to run for the hills when he found out about, you know, my cancer."

"Andy, you know you're welcome in this family always," Nicole said. Andy dropped Josh's hand and hugged Nicole tightly. She may have already have had two moms, but a third didn't seem like such a bad idea.

"Have a good night,' Nicole said as Andy followed Josh upstairs.

Nicole stood at the bottom of the stairs, staring up at them as they went.

"You look worried," Stephen commented, wrapping his arms around his wife.

Nicole sighed. "I am."

"Think we can't trust them?"

"No, I have complete trust in them. I just worry that separating them tomorrow will be near impossible. I worry that Josh is going to worry about her constantly. I worry that they're so young and they're falling so hard and so fast."

"It's like you told Andy's moms, they're not children anymore."

"I know, but a mother never stops worrying no matter how old her children get."

"Everything will be fine. You'll see. Now come on, let's go to bed."

As they walked up the stairs and past Josh's bedroom, Nicole stared at the closed door. She remembered when he was a child and insisted on sleeping with the door cracked open. Nicole would always slip out of bed in the middle of the night just to make sure he was okay. She knew as she walked into her own bedroom that she wouldn't be doing that again tonight. He didn't need her to look in on him anymore even though the urge to do so would never completely go away.

Inside his room, Josh sat down next to Andy on the bed.

"I told you they'd agree."

"Admit it," she said, playing with the bottom of his shirt. "You didn't know for sure that they'd let me stay."

He put his arm around her. "No, but I did have an escape plan if they didn't."

"Even if you got grounded for it?"

"Doesn't seem to matter if I get grounded if I can't see you anyway." She hung her head and stopped playing with his shirt. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"No, it's okay. You're right, we have to face reality. I'll be gone tomorrow."

"Yeah, well, the good news is, you can still kick my ass in G-Force from across the country." She smiled. "And I hear they have some pretty good colleges out there in Boston."

"That would be too bad because I hear there are some pretty good colleges around here."

This time it was Josh who smiled. He began to idly play with strands of her hair, running them through his fingers.

"We'll be together," he whispered.

"I know," she replied quietly.

She turned towards him. He ran his hand through her hair, resting it against the side of her face. They stared into each other's eyes before leaning towards each other. They rested their foreheads against one another's.

"So," Josh said after a few moments of silence, "you want to play G-Force?"

Andy laughed and sat straight up. "You really know how to ruin a moment."

"That's my specialty. Now come on, let's play." He stood up.

"Actually," she said, looking over at the TV in Josh's room and then back at him. "Can we just…be together?"

He nodded and smiled. "Of course."

He sat back down, scooting back against his headboard. He put his legs out straight in front of him and Andy crawled to sit on his lap. She leaned against him as he put his arms around her. His hands rubbed her back up and down soothingly as she closed her eyes, just glad to be close to him.

As he began to feel her breathing slow as she slipped off into sleep, he knew that he had to talk to her. He was running out of chances.

"Andy," he said.

"Mmm?"

"I need you to…do something for me."

"Anything."

He took a deep breath. "Remember when I told you that I want to be there for everything? Every test. Every treatment."

"Yeah?"

"I meant it."

"I know," she answered, still with her eyes closed. She was obviously close to sleep. It wasn't late, but the day had been one of emotional upheaval and it tired her out.

He didn't want to have this conversation with her while she was half asleep. He needed her to know that he was serious.

"Andy, look at me." She reluctantly picked up her head and looked at him. "I need you to promise me that you won't shut me out."

"Josh, I'm not following."

"I want to know how you are. No lies. No telling me that you're fine when you're not. I want to know every up and every down every time."

She sat up, sliding off his lap.

"Are you afraid that I'll get worse and not tell you?"

"I know how proud you can be and that you don't like to admit that you're hurting…"

"You really think I wouldn't tell you?" She wasn't angry, but she wanted to understand his thinking.

"Can you blame me? Andy, you didn't want to tell me that you had cancer in the first place. You tried to say that we couldn't be together anymore when you started chemo. What am I supposed to think? I just don't want to one day get a phone call that…you…"

"Died?"

He averted his eyes from hers. That was what he had been thinking, but he didn't want to admit it. He never wanted her to know that he thought about her dying. He didn't want her to think that he was giving up. Finally, he simply nodded.

She took a deep breath. "Sometimes I think that it would be easier if I didn't tell you everything that was going on. Sometimes I think that I should protect you from all of this pain that comes with cancer. And that's what I tried to do at first. I cared about you so much that I didn't want to see you hurt." He finally let his eyes meet hers again.

"And now?"

"And now I need you. I need you with me when I go through this. You're my strength. You give me a reason to live. And maybe that's selfish and maybe…"

"Selfish? Andy, nothing about that is selfish. You shouldn't have to go through this alone. And you never will. I just need to know that you're going to be honest with me."

She ran her hand down the side of his face. "I promise to be honest with you no matter what happens."

"Good," he answered, smiling. He pressed his lips against her forehead as she snuggled up against him.

"Now can we get some sleep?" She asked.

"Yeah."

He laid down on his back, his head resting on his pillow. She curled up beside him, putting her head on his shoulder, tucked just under his chin. She ran her hand across his chest and he snaked his right arm around her, pulling her close. As she closed her eyes, his left hand found hers and they came to rest just above his heart.

"I love you," he said quietly into her hair.

"You like saying that, don't you?" She asked lazily.

"Yeah, I do."

She opened her eyes and picked up her head so that she could look him in the eye. She needed him to believe her when she spoke.

"Good. Because I like hearing it."

She pressed her lips against his, allowing him full access to her mouth. If they hadn't already discussed the fact that they wanted to wait to have sex, they both knew that the kiss was so fiery and passionate that it could have led to something more. Finally, though, they both broke away.

"I love you, too," she said as she rested her head back against his chest. She fell asleep to the beating of his heart.

Author's Note: Well, I'm trying to update more regularly so here's the next installment. I hope you liked it and please review!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Josh felt himself walking up, but he didn't open his eyes. He attempted to move, trying to find a more comfortable position than the one he was in, but he couldn't move. His right leg was numb and most definitely asleep. He tried to shift it again, but it wouldn't move. He felt like something was actually pinning him down and then he remembered that something was. The thought made him smile. Slowly, he opened his eyes. She was lying snuggled up against him in almost the same exact position they had fallen asleep in. She was using his right shoulder as a pillow and her right arm was draped across his chest. Although they were no longer holding hands, her hand remained just above his heart. Her leg had somehow become wrapped around his in the middle of the night, and was the cause of Josh's numb leg. He ignored the fact that his leg was beginning to get pins and needles running through it. He was too busy remembering what it felt like to be so close to her. He wanted to remember the moment of being with her like that for the rest of his life.

He slowly removed his hand from where it was resting on her hip and brushed a piece of hair away from her forehead. She stirred slightly, moving her leg away from his. Seizing the opportunity, he quickly shifted, the feeling of relief finally flowing through his leg.

"Hey," he whispered.

Her eyes fluttered open. She raised her head, resting her chin on his shoulder.

"Hey yourself," she replied sleepily. He kissed the top of her head as she began to run her hand across his chest. She rolled onto her back, laying down next to him. They both took the moment apart to stretch before Josh slipped his arm underneath her head.

"Sleep well?" He asked.

"Never better," she answering, sighing.

They laid together in silence for several moments until there was a knock at the door.

"Kids!" Nicole called into the room. "Breakfast'll be ready in ten minutes."

Josh just reached for Andy's hand and squeezed it. He didn't want either of them to move.

"I take it that means you don't want breakfast," Andy said, smiling. She rolled onto her side and put her head next to his on the pillow.

"Breakfast can wait." He also rolled over, facing her. Their faces were only centimeters apart. Their noses were almost touching.

He had to admit that he was hungry, especially since he had barely eaten anything at dinner the night before, but he wasn't about to get up. He was too utterly happy to get up.

Again, they simply laid there together, not talking, not moving. Neither of them wanted their perfect morning to end. Finally, though, Josh glanced over at the clock next to his bed. It was almost ten. The first thought that came to Josh's mind was that Andy's plane was leaving in four hours.

"I don't want to go," Andy muttered as if she were reading his mind. He knew that she wasn't saying that because she didn't want to go to breakfast.

"I know," he replied. "I don't want you to go either."

"I don't even want to ever get out of this bed."

He smirked, thinking about the implications of her statement. "I could live with that. Although, I would insist that you take a shower at least once a week." He paused. "But, that could be fun, too."

She hit him lightly on the chest. "You know what I mean." She grew serious again. "I feel safe here."

"You are safe here," he assured her, running his hand through her hair. He loved touching her hair. Perhaps he loved it so much because he knew that she could have lost her hair at any time during chemo and he was just glad that she never actually did lose her hair. Either way, he loved feeling it in his fingers and he loved smelling it. It always had this perfect, Andy smell.

"Being with you is the only time I don't think about being sick. It's the only time I really believe that everything could be alright."

"Everything is going to be alright," he stated, trying to sound as reassuring as possible. "And you'll never have to be without me."

"My plane leaves in four hours," she said quietly.

"Don't think about that. Just think about being here. Right now. Think about how right this feels. And any time you feel scared or alone, remember this moment."

Her eyes brimmed with tears. Josh may have spent more time being witty than anything else, but he also knew exactly how to say the right thing. Before she would let herself cry, she kissed him. The kiss started slow, but it grew with every second. They rolled together until she was beneath him, their hands roaming each others bodies freely. Josh kissed a trail up to her ear, stopping to nibble on her ear lobe. She let out a gasp.

"I love you," he whispered before capturing her lips again.

She let herself get caught in the moment of passion. Josh was right, she never wanted to forget that moment. She wanted to remember being with him for the rest of her life. But she also knew that their time was up.

"I have to go," she whispered as his mouth freely roamed her neck.

"Not yet," he replied, his lips beginning its ascent back towards her lips.

"If I don't go now I'll never leave," she said, applying slight pressure with her hand to his shoulder. Finally, he stopped kissing her and simply looked at her.

"You still have four hours," he stated.

"Four hours to get home, take a shower, finish packing some things, and get to the airport at least two hours early."

"Well, you could always take a shower here," he offered, raising an eyebrow.

"As appealing as that sounds, somehow I don't think our parents would agree to that. And I really have to go."

He rolled off of her, sitting up on the bed. Andy swung her legs over the edge and went to stand, her back towards him.

"My mom said she'd take me to the airport to…see you off," Josh stated.

"No," Andy stated.

"What do you mean, no?"

"I don't want you to come to the airport."

He put his hand on her shoulder, but she brushed it off.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to have some cheesy, tearful goodbye at the airport. I want to remember us like this." She turned and kissed him lightly on the lips. "Just like this."

"How about if I promise not to cry?"

She shook her head. "If you come to the airport, I'll never get on the plane."

"Then I should definitely go."

"Josh…"

"Andy…"

"Please. Do this for me."

He sighed. "Okay, fine." He ran his hand through her hair again. "I won't go to the airport."

"Then I guess this is goodbye," she whispered.

She could feel the tears welling in her eyes, but she didn't want to cry. She didn't want him to remember her crying.

"Not goodbye," he corrected. "Just…see you later."

She flung her arms around his neck and buried her head against his shoulder. She managed to keep her tears from falling, but it wasn't easy. He whispered soothing words into her ear. He wanted to break down and allow himself to cry, but he wouldn't. Like the day she told him she had cancer and every day since then when he had seen her going through chemo, he wanted to cry, but he knew that he had to be strong for her. He wouldn't let her see him cry.

"I love you," she said, lifting her head from his shoulder. She let go of him quickly and headed for the door. She didn't even want to look back because she knew that she couldn't. She wiped a tear from her eye as she reached for the door handle.

"Andy…" he said.

"Please, Josh, I have to go."

"I want to give you something to remember me by," he replied.

"Trust me, remembering you is not going to be a problem." She still didn't turn around. Josh pulled the T-Shirt he was wearing up and over his head.

"Here," he said, holding it out to her back.

She finally turned around, but it wasn't the shirt that he was holding out to her that caught her eye. It was him, standing there without his shirt on that made her stop and stare. Sure, she had seen him without his shirt on before at the pool, but for some reason, that was different. Now he was standing in his bedroom, shirtless, literally giving him the shirt off his back. The sight of him made her breath catch in her throat.

"You're really putting out all the stops to get me to stay, aren't you?" She asked, trying to make light of a very difficult situation. She wanted to leap into his arms and feel his bare skin against his fingertips, but she stayed where she was. The emotional and rational sides of her body were arguing incessantly and she wasn't sure which one would win.

"Hey, I'd get naked if I thought it would get you to stay." He smirked. "Actually that might not be such a bad idea."

"Josh…"

He thrust the T-Shirt towards her, trying to keep his own wits about him. "I want you to have it."

She took it from him and held it up to her nose. It smelled like him, one of her favorite scents in the world.

"Thank you," she said quietly, still blinking back tears.

"You're welcome." An awkward pause fell over them. They had always been comfortable with each other, but neither of them knew what to say. No words either of them could say would make the other feel better. "I can still go to the airport."

"No."

He nodded. "It's not goodbye," he said, as much trying to reassure her as he was himself.

"I know." She turned around as tears began to stream down her face. She didn't want him to see her cry. "Goodbye Josh."

Before she could think about it anymore, she flung the door open and raced outside. She bolted down the stairs, ignored Nicole and Lori as they said good morning to her from the kitchen, and ran outside. When the door was securely closed behind her, she sank to her knees on the front step. Finally, she let herself cry, hugging his T-Shirt against her chest tightly.

Author's Note:

Well, I'm trying to write these last few chapters as fast as I can. I'm heading in for surgery on Monday so I'll probably be out of commission for a few weeks. I'm doing my best to finish up before then. Thank you to all of my great reviews! Keep them coming!


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Josh stared at the ceiling. He hadn't moved since she left. That was more than three hours ago. He couldn't bring himself to move. All he could think about was her, and what his life was going to be like without her. He had promised her that they would be okay and that they would never be alone, but he wasn't so sure anymore. He couldn't stop thinking about all of the reasons he was going to miss her. Who was going to meet him in the boy's bathroom when they really should have been in class? Who was going to hang out at the Rack all afternoon with him while he was stuck working? Who was going to laugh at his stupid jokes? Who was even going to understand his stupid jokes?

"Josh," his mom sad through the door, simultaneously knocking. He didn't say anything. He just kept staring at the ceiling. His door began to open slowly and Nicole poked her head in.

"I left some pancakes for you," she said. "Or I can make you something for lunch." He didn't respond. "I could make hot dogs, your favorite."

"I'm not hungry," Josh mumbled.

Nicole opened the door fully and stepped inside the room. When she saw that he was shirtless, a little inkling of worry crept into her mind.

"We didn't do anything," Josh stated, knowing exactly what his mother was thinking.

"I didn't say you did," she replied quickly.

"No, but you were thinking it."

Nicole nodded. "You're right, I was. But, just for the record, I do trust you and Andy."

"Yeah well, you won't have to trust us anymore," Josh said.

Nicole walked over to his closet and grabbed a T-Shirt. She threw it in his direction. He put it on as Nicole took a seat at the end of his bed.

"So, how are you doing?"

"My girlfriend just left to move across the country. How do you think I'm doing?"

"Right, bad question." She sighed. She was trying to think like the psychologist she was, but the mom side of her kept pushing through. "It will get better Josh."

He sat up, leaning against his headboard.

"How? When?"

"She just left."

"Yeah, thanks for reminding me."

"I know it's hard, but there's no easy fix. It will take time, but you and Andy will figure this out."

"And what if we don't make it? What if it's too hard?"

"Do you love her?" He nodded. "Then you'll find a way."

Josh looked over at the clock.

"Her plane leaves in forty-five minutes," he said sadly.

"She didn't want you to go to the airport?'

He shook his head. "She wanted to say goodbye here."

"And what do you want?"

He felt an unfamiliar feeling taking over his body. His eyes were beginning to water. He hadn't cried since he broke his leg in the fifth grade and yet, tears were forming. He had managed to hold back his emotions the entire time. Even through Andy's cancer and now her moving, he hadn't cried. He had tried to stay strong for Andy and for himself, but as all of his feelings and emotions of missing her began tugging at his heart, he felt a tear roll down his cheek.

He flung himself out of bed and grabbed a sweatshirt off the floor.

"Josh, what are you…"

He began to rummage under his bed for his shoes.

"We need to get to the airport."

She could feel his need to get to her, to see her one more time. As a mom who wanted nothing more than to protect her son, her heart was breaking. She couldn't even imagine what he must be feeling.

She hated to say it, but she knew she had to. "Josh, it's too late…"

"No!" He shouted, wiping at his tears. He still wanted to be strong, but he was losing the battle. "We still have…" he grabbed his shoes and looked over his bed at his clock. "Forty minutes."

"You know we would never make it to the airport in time," Nicole said quietly.

"We have to!" He yelled. He sat on the floor and pulled his shoes on, not even bothering to untie them. "I need to say goodbye. I need to be with her. I need to see her. Just one more time."

Nicole slid off the bed and knelt down in front of him on the floor. She put her hand on his shoulder.

"Josh…"

He looked at her for the first time since she walked in the room. His lips began to quiver and he threw himself into her arms. Nicole held him, rocking him back and forth like she did when he was a child. But he wasn't crying about a skinned elbow or the newest name Lori decided to call him. He was crying because of a broken heart, which Nicole couldn't heal with a bandaid or kind words. The thought made her eyes well up with tears.

Andy sat on the hard, red, plastic chair. Her knees were hugged to her chest. She lifted the collar of the shirt she was wearing to her nose. It still smelled like him. She never wanted that smell to go away. She wasn't sure if she would ever take off his shirt again.

From the seat beside her, Jane glanced over at her. Andy simply turned her Ipod up louder and closed her eyes. She was trying to remember the morning she and Josh had spent together, wrapped in each other's arms.

A few moments passed before Andy felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and into her mother's eyes.

"We're beginning to board," she stated.

Even though Andy's music was turned up so loudly that she couldn't make out what exactly her mother was saying, she what she meant. It was time for her entire life to change. Andy reluctantly picked up her small carryon bag she had next to her chair. She followed her mother into line to show the flight attendant their tickets.

"Andy, you can't ignore us for a flight that takes over six hours," her mom said, pulling the earphones out of her ears.

"Yeah, try me," Andy replied, giving her the cold shoulder. It was definitely going to be a long flight, but what was going to be longer was living the rest of her life without him.

"Andy, listen to me," her mother said sternly, whirling Andy around so that they were facing each other.

"No!" Andy shouted. "You listen to me! You can pretend all you want that you're doing what's best for this family. You can say that I'll feel better in time and you know what? You're right. I will never stop loving him and I will never stop missing him, but, eventually we'll both begin to heal and learn how to make this work. But now…right now I don't want to hear it. Right now I just want to cry because I miss him. Right now I just want you to realize what you've done and to leave me alone!"

Andy went to turn back around as her mother put her hand on Andy's shoulder. Andy looked into her mother's eyes and let the tears fall. She had spent the last few day hating her mother, but at that moment she realized that she didn't hate her at all. She melted into her mother's arms and let her hold her until all of her tears had dried.

The clock read 11:01. Andy was already an hour into her flight. Josh turned away from the blinking red lights. He hadn't moved. He stared at his TV, debated on whether or not to turn it on, and then rolled onto his back. He didn't want to watch TV or help his mom clean out the hall closet as she tried to get him to do to keep his mind off things. All he wanted was to be playing G-Force with the one person who made his life complete.

There was a knock at the door.

"Go away!" He shouted.

"Okay, but I'm coming in anyway so if you're naked, I suggest you put some clothes on."

The door opened and Lori stepped inside.

"I said go away," Josh stated.

"I could, but then you'd miss all the fun and excitement." He didn't respond. He didn't care about whatever it was that Lori was planning. He just wanted her out of his room. He wanted to be alone to wallow in his own self-pity. "Don't you even want to know what's so fun and exciting?"

"Not really."

"Well, too bad because I'm going to tell you anyway."

"Look, Lori, I know you're just trying to cheer me up, but it's not going to work."

"Well, you know my motto, if you can't cheer someone up, get 'em drunk."

"What?"

"Mom and dad went out to run some errands and, as we speak, Declan's on his way over with a case of beer. See, I told you it would be fun and exciting."

"Sorry, I'm not in the mood."

"Exactly. That's why alcohol is so great. It puts you in the mood."

"No thanks."

"Josh…"

"Look, I'm really not in the mood for alcohol or a sisterly talk, okay? Andy's gone and yes, I know eventually life will move on, but for right now I just want to be alone."

Lori sighed. "Okay." The doorbell rang. "That's Declan. Feel free to come down and join us if you want."

"Thanks."

Lori nodded and walked out of the room, closing the door tightly behind her. Josh glanced over at the clock again. 11:04. He tried to guess which state Andy was probably flying over at that moment. And he wondered what she was doing. Was she listening to her music or writing in her journal or…

There was another knock on the door.

"I said I'm not in the mood!" He shouted. The knock came again. "Lori, would you please just leave me alone!" The knock grew louder the third time. Josh flung himself out of bed. He marched to the door. "Damn it, Lori…" Flinging the door open, he gasped.

"Now is that any way to speak to your girlfriend?" Andy asked. She was standing in his doorway, her hands on her hips in a perfect, Andy stance.

"You're not on a plane," he said, staring at her. He wasn't sure if what he was seeing was exactly true.

"I'm not a plane," she replied.

"Why aren't you on a plane?"

"I couldn't leave you," she whispered.

She threw herself into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. He hugged her tighter than he ever had before. He thought he was dreaming, but it was all too real. He could feel her, smell her, and as their lips met, taste her. As he began to wobble from the weight of them both, she let go of him and planted her feet firmly on the ground. But she didn't take her arms from around his neck. She wanted to keep that connection with him.

"What happened? How did you…your moms…why did they…"

She put her finger to his lips, quieting him. "All that matters is that I'm here."

"But how?"

"Let's just say I basically fell apart and cried in my mother's arms and she told me that she couldn't bear to see me in so much pain, not after all I've been through."

"So…that's it? You're not moving?"

"Well, my mother's going to fly out to Boston for a few weeks to help get the new law firm set up, but she'll be coming back."

"And you and your mom?"

"We get to stay here."

There were so many thoughts running through his mind. He wanted to make sure that this wasn't just some cruel joke.

"But what about your house and…"

"The house was never actually sold so it's still ours. Now we just have to unpack everything and put it all back."

He smiled and leaned his forehead against hers. He closed his eyes and took the moment to just feel what it was like to be with her again. He couldn't have felt more relieved or ecstatic.

"I can't believe you're really here," he said quietly, finally opening his eyes.

"Believe it," she said, kissing him lightly on the lips.

"So does this mean that your moms are going to hate me forever?"

"I don't think they can hate anyone who gives me something to live for."

They both smiled and let themselves melt into each other, knowing that nothing could ever keep them apart.

Author's Note: Alright, I know it was cheesy and it was predictable, but it was still fun to write and who doesn't love a happy ending? Anyway, I wrote this ending rather quickly because I wanted to finish this story, but I hope you still like it. I don't know when I'll have time to start my next fanfiction, but be on the lookout! Thank you for reading!


End file.
